How Did Civilization Influence Roman Civilization
The Influence of Roman Civilization on Subsequent History and Impact on Modern Day
Among the many civilizations whose remnants are still seen protruding through modern society- few can compare to the overbearing influence that the Roman civilization. The subsequent time period following the era of Roman rule has been overflowing culturally, economically, and militarily from the impact Roman civilization had on mankind. The creation of the Civil Law system, the spread of Christianity, development of democratic government practices, influences in language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city-planning are all areas where the common factor of Roman content can be seen (Daxner, 2017).
The first law code in Roman history was the Law of the …show more content…
Twelve Tables, the precursor to the development of Roman law. Roman law formed the division between public law, in which the state is directly involved, such as with issues of treason and taxation, and private law, concerned with disputes between people, such as over contracts (Daxner, 2017). This system was the basis for what is now known in the West as Civil law. Roman law also influenced the development of private international law. The Romans conducted indictments and jury trials, similar to today's practices. Numerous defensive techniques currently employed can also be traced back to Roman procedures (Highet, 1949). The notion of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law, which is the inherent backbone of the standing criminal justice system within the United States of America, also came from ancient Roman ideas. In addition, the purpose of written law as a way to protect individuals from one another and from the power of the state is an inherently Roman idea (Daxner, 2017).
The Roman process of devising laws is still evident in modern political systems. During the era of the Roman Republic, lawmaking was a bicameral activity. Legislation was first passed by the Comitia; an assembly of the citizens. It was then approved by the representatives of the upper class, or the senate, and issued in the name of the senate and the people of Rome (Daxner, 2017) . Many countries, including the United States, use the Republican Rome as a model for their own governments; requiring that laws should pass two legislative bodies. A similar outline is seen in nearly all modern democratic constitutions.
Proliferation of the Latin Language, which has formed the basis for Western languages such as English, is clearly one of the farthest reaching ramifications of Roman society.
Latin roots form a majority of common words in numerous European languages and is considered the original language of progress and civilization. Literature is another domain where Roman influence is noteworthy. Roman authors followed the famous Greek authors, often developing and building upon Greek writing. Roman Art has also influenced today's society. In particular, use of pictures of Emperors on coins and sculptures was an inherently Roman idea (Daxner, 2017). Although much of the language and art can be attributed to a strong Greek influence, the fact that much of the work of the Greek civilization was transliterated and preserved and reproduced is a testament to the maturity of the Romans and their appreciation for the great works of other societies.
Roman impact on modern society can also be seen in infrastructure systems. Roman roads used three levels of substructure beneath the paving stones, and a prescribed angle for the uplift of the center of the road, allowing rainwater to drain off. They used numbered signposts every Roman mile, which indicated such things as the distance to the next town and which construction battalion had built the road. They also had extensive networks of underground lead pipe which would supply clean water. In addition, they employed the concepts of parks, public
libraries, and plazas (Daxner, 2017).
Elements of modern city-planning and construction can be traced to Roman civilization as well. The Romans were involved in extended city-building projects as they consolidated their empire. Roman military and colonial towns were laid out in a variation of a highly planned grid (Daxner, 2017). Developments in the architecture of fortification, relating to compact space and fast maneuverability, and the discovery of perspective, focusing the description on the eye of the viewer, led to radial focus in city plans and the development of idealistic town plans. Many European cities, like London and Paris, sprang from these Roman origins. Similarly, in Washington DC , building designs were derived from Roman styles. Roman theaters have also had a considerable influence on the development of theaters in modern society (Daxner, 2017).
Another significant area of Roman influence is in religion. The Roman Empire contributed to the spread of Christianity. In particular, it played a role estrangement between what would become Eastern and Western Christians, known today as Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics. When the Bishop of Rome took power after Constantinople became the capital of the empire, ideological differences became manifest between the East and West. Eastern Christians looked more readily to Constantinople, its Emperor and its bishop. Western Europeans tended to look to the missionaries sent by Rome and to the Holy Father of Rome for faith and guidance (Daxner, 2017).
The legacy of Rome has clearly left lasting impacts on numerous characteristics of modern society. The figurative roots of the components of language, architecture, art, and Western government are of Roman origin. Although parts of the values and practices of their civilization may have implications of pre-Roman influence, the complete and polished production of what emerged from that period in time is undoubtedly Roman in nature and design and is clearly evident in the modern significance it holds.
References
“The Influence of the Roman Empire.”Daxner: Echoes in Eternity. Last accessed February12, 2017. http://www.danxner.com/
Highet, Gilbert. The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature. Oxford University Press, USA, 1949.
Among the many civilizations whose remnants are still seen protruding through modern society- few can compare to the overbearing influence that the Roman civilization. The subsequent time period following the era of Roman rule has been overflowing culturally, economically, and militarily from the impact Roman civilization had on mankind. The creation of the Civil Law system, the spread of Christianity, development of democratic government practices, influences in language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city-planning are all areas where the common factor of Roman content can be seen (Daxner, 2017).
The first law code in Roman history was the Law of the …show more content…
Twelve Tables, the precursor to the development of Roman law. Roman law formed the division between public law, in which the state is directly involved, such as with issues of treason and taxation, and private law, concerned with disputes between people, such as over contracts (Daxner, 2017). This system was the basis for what is now known in the West as Civil law. Roman law also influenced the development of private international law. The Romans conducted indictments and jury trials, similar to today's practices. Numerous defensive techniques currently employed can also be traced back to Roman procedures (Highet, 1949). The notion of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law, which is the inherent backbone of the standing criminal justice system within the United States of America, also came from ancient Roman ideas. In addition, the purpose of written law as a way to protect individuals from one another and from the power of the state is an inherently Roman idea (Daxner, 2017).
The Roman process of devising laws is still evident in modern political systems. During the era of the Roman Republic, lawmaking was a bicameral activity. Legislation was first passed by the Comitia; an assembly of the citizens. It was then approved by the representatives of the upper class, or the senate, and issued in the name of the senate and the people of Rome (Daxner, 2017) . Many countries, including the United States, use the Republican Rome as a model for their own governments; requiring that laws should pass two legislative bodies. A similar outline is seen in nearly all modern democratic constitutions.
Proliferation of the Latin Language, which has formed the basis for Western languages such as English, is clearly one of the farthest reaching ramifications of Roman society.
Latin roots form a majority of common words in numerous European languages and is considered the original language of progress and civilization. Literature is another domain where Roman influence is noteworthy. Roman authors followed the famous Greek authors, often developing and building upon Greek writing. Roman Art has also influenced today's society. In particular, use of pictures of Emperors on coins and sculptures was an inherently Roman idea (Daxner, 2017). Although much of the language and art can be attributed to a strong Greek influence, the fact that much of the work of the Greek civilization was transliterated and preserved and reproduced is a testament to the maturity of the Romans and their appreciation for the great works of other societies.
Roman impact on modern society can also be seen in infrastructure systems. Roman roads used three levels of substructure beneath the paving stones, and a prescribed angle for the uplift of the center of the road, allowing rainwater to drain off. They used numbered signposts every Roman mile, which indicated such things as the distance to the next town and which construction battalion had built the road. They also had extensive networks of underground lead pipe which would supply clean water. In addition, they employed the concepts of parks, public
libraries, and plazas (Daxner, 2017).
Elements of modern city-planning and construction can be traced to Roman civilization as well. The Romans were involved in extended city-building projects as they consolidated their empire. Roman military and colonial towns were laid out in a variation of a highly planned grid (Daxner, 2017). Developments in the architecture of fortification, relating to compact space and fast maneuverability, and the discovery of perspective, focusing the description on the eye of the viewer, led to radial focus in city plans and the development of idealistic town plans. Many European cities, like London and Paris, sprang from these Roman origins. Similarly, in Washington DC , building designs were derived from Roman styles. Roman theaters have also had a considerable influence on the development of theaters in modern society (Daxner, 2017).
Another significant area of Roman influence is in religion. The Roman Empire contributed to the spread of Christianity. In particular, it played a role estrangement between what would become Eastern and Western Christians, known today as Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics. When the Bishop of Rome took power after Constantinople became the capital of the empire, ideological differences became manifest between the East and West. Eastern Christians looked more readily to Constantinople, its Emperor and its bishop. Western Europeans tended to look to the missionaries sent by Rome and to the Holy Father of Rome for faith and guidance (Daxner, 2017).
The legacy of Rome has clearly left lasting impacts on numerous characteristics of modern society. The figurative roots of the components of language, architecture, art, and Western government are of Roman origin. Although parts of the values and practices of their civilization may have implications of pre-Roman influence, the complete and polished production of what emerged from that period in time is undoubtedly Roman in nature and design and is clearly evident in the modern significance it holds.
References
“The Influence of the Roman Empire.”Daxner: Echoes in Eternity. Last accessed February12, 2017. http://www.danxner.com/
Highet, Gilbert. The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature. Oxford University Press, USA, 1949.